I was wondering...The preliminary final that in Wellington that TW will host if they draw or win on the weekend is set down for Sunday 13th according to the NZFC website. However this article below points to it being on Saturday the 12th. Given 90% of us will be kicking a ball around ourselves on that afternoon it doesn't seem a very sensible way to ensure a good size crowd. Or has NZF once again forgotton that grass roots footie exists?
NZFC Finals live on Sky
06.03.08
Fans around New Zealand will once again be able to watch the culmination of football�s domestic showpiece live on Sky in April.
Both the Preliminary Final on Saturday, April 12 (kickoff 2.30pm) and the NZFC Grand Final on Sunday, April 20 (kickoff 2pm) will be shown live on Sky Sport 3.
With the top three sides � Auckland City, Waitakere United and Team Wellington � still jostling for final position, the location of both playoff games is up for grabs.
The league runners-up host third place in the Preliminary Final while the Minor Premiers host the winner of that match in the Grand Final eight days later.
New Zealand Football�s Competitions Manager Glyn Taylor said coverage and timing of the NZFC Grand Final ensured no local football fans would miss out.
�We�ve scheduled the Grand Final for Sunday to allow for club footballers to play on Saturday and then watch the climax of the domestic season live on TV or by getting along to the ground � wherever that may be,� said Taylor.
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agreed pretty naff to make the first one a saturday game
good that both games will be on TV
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They should make the Preliminary Final (stupid name 'cos it ain't a final) a 6pm kick off, then you could have a few beers after your own game and watch it (or go to it).
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Yeah cause the players would love playing in the dark....
Three for me, and two for them.
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Do you not have electricity in Wellington?
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Buffy is in Auckland, but I suspect nowhere in Wellington would have adequate lights for TV broadcast apart from the Stadium and that would cost a fortune.
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Good call. I suppose we're spoilt here in Hamilton with Waikato playing at Waikato Satdium (when they're not at home in Tauranga). Just a shame they aren't good enough to get anywhere. Or to get a crowd! 
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Buffy is in Auckland, but I suspect nowhere in Wellington would have adequate lights for TV broadcast apart from the Stadium and that would cost a fortune.
Is this were on get on my high horse and bleat on (again) about how NZ Soccer should have never let TW into the league in the first place as they didnt meet the entry requirements?
A dog with a bone :)
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great call that. Although I heard lights were always promissed at Newtown until the logistics of where to put the light towers became an issue.
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Indeed, shame we missed out on following Ole Madrids... 
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I would imagine that Sky have got the date wrong. At least, I hope so. If we get a home semi, I want to go to the game but that's going to be a problem if it's played on the Saturday.
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Not at all, NZF knew what it was doing. But given the feedback they have had I supect they are praying for TW loss on the weekend to avoid having the semi televised live on SS3 showing a near empty Newtown Park
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Would the same "near empty" not apply to Auckland too? Or don't they have Saturday football leagues?
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they do of course and my point is that wheever the game is played it should be Sunday. TW would get 20x the crowd on a Sunday compared to a Saturday
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Is this set in concrete? I thought that the home team could choose when they play. Auckland seem to play all their home games on Saturday but Central have started to play so they might want to play sunday as well.
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It's definite. I emailed the NZFC asking whether their website was correct or whether Sky was correct. Apparently there was an announcement - anyone see it? Anyway, it's been changed because that was the only day Sky could televise it..... FFS.
I�m glad that Sky are advertising the games now and slightly concerned that our website has the wrong date! I can confirm the Preliminary Final is 2.30pm on Saturday 12 April and the Grand Final on Sunday 20 April at 2pm.
When we announced the coverage last month* we changed the date on the back-end of the website and I�m not exactly sure when or how we managed to undo that. All I can do is apologies for any confusion caused and correct the date.
The date has been corrected now on the website. I hope you can still watch the final on telly if you can�t get along in person. On that note, we realise that the timing may clash with many fans own Saturday winter football but we were bound by the slots that Sky had available.
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I did reply pointing out that it was a shame to have the what will probably be the lowest crowd of the season in a playoff match.
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sounds like an unusual case of the team that finishes higher getting the home dis-advantage,
of playing in front of an empty home grandstand for the first time all season
tigers2008-04-03 19:38:23emailed them but I expect that, at best, our emails might help with a more sensible decision next season
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Not a possibility that the game was scheduled for Saturday to accommodate Television scheduling because Sunday is reserved for American Golf, Motor Racing, and a three hour interview with a rugby player that retired in 1980?
We're Forever Causing Trouble
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I did reply pointing out that it was a shame to have the what will probably be the lowest crowd of the season in a playoff match.
Why not play the match behind close doors? Thats saves all the annoying effort of having to have staff on the day of the match to serve beers and sausages.
That way, everyone will be able to watch the game from the comfort of their own home, rather than having to venture out in the rain. Thats assuming they ARE actually at home, which most people wont be cos they will be at their football club.
Another example of putting the cart before the horse.
It would be better for the future of football and NZFC football in particular if the game was on Sunday, and only highlights were shown on SKY.
Unbelieveable.
I had lined up several new spectators to come along, now none of us will be going.
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I will go as I do not play football on saturdays, only corporate mixed during the week.
Botafogo - Rio de Janeiro and Wellington Phoenix, my two teams til death do us part.
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I'm hopefully heading up for both matches. Parents want me up for mid-trimester break, so I'll fly up on Saturday for the match then head down to Tauranga afterwards. I'll budget in time for the grand final as well if we make it.
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